The first reading assignment in History of Superheroes was volume one of The Superman Chronicles, a collection of the first Superman comics from 1938-9, when he first ran in Action Comics, New York World's Fair Comics, and Superman. It's really interesting to read! My only exposure to Superman has really been the modern, mainstream stuff, and I've never liked him, because he seems to have no personality and no real problems. Ignore the irony of this sentence, but he really doesn't seem human, and therefore I don't care about him.
Reading these old comics, though? He's so entertaining! I like seeing him go so far creating the illusion of a despicable, cowardly Clark Kent. I like how his alter ego is an amusing joke to him, and the more that Lois ignores him, or people call him a weakling, the more ironically funny it is to him. He can even be cruel, laughing as he creatively punishes people as Superman, something that the modern, over-polished version of him would never do. This old Superman is cool. I would have been all about this series if I was a kid in 1938.
1 comment:
That sounds interesting! I've only ever been exposed to the modern Superman as well. I should give these old stories a read, too :D
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